Quiz Ruthless Vows Rebecca Ross

Ruthless Vows Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Character, and Theme

Ruthless Vows Quiz: 20 Questions on Plot, Character, and Theme (with Answer Key)

Test your knowledge of Rebecca Ross's Ruthless Vows with this 20-question quiz. Questions span the entire book, covering plot sequence, character motivation, themes and symbols, and synthesis. Each question is followed by the correct answer and a brief explanation in the answer key below.

Quiz Questions

Plot and Sequence (Questions 1–8)

1. (Multiple Choice) At the beginning of the book, who does Iris find waiting in her flat?

  • A) Forest

  • B) Roman

  • C) Mr. Kitt

  • D) Sarah Prindle

2. (Multiple Choice) What object does Iris steal from the museum with Attie and Sarah's help?

  • A) A magical sword

  • B) The First Alouette typewriter

  • C) A key to the under realm

  • D) A violin

3. (Short Answer) After Roman loses his memory, how does he secretly communicate with Iris?

4. (Multiple Choice) When Dacre discovers Roman's betrayal, what does he order?

  • A) Roman to be executed immediately

  • B) Roman to be shackled on traitor's row

  • C) Roman to be sent back to Oath

  • D) Roman to write a confession and be forgiven

5. (Multiple Choice) What happens to Forest and Sarah during the bombing of Oath?

  • A) They escape to the museum

  • B) They are killed together, holding hands

  • C) They are captured by the Graveyard

  • D) They survive and reunite with Iris

6. (Short Answer) How does Iris ultimately kill Dacre?

7. (Multiple Choice) What does Iris present to stop Roman's execution by the Graveyard?

  • A) A letter from Roman proving he leaked Dacre's plans

  • B) A sword given by Enva

  • C) A confession from Lieutenant Shane

  • D) A marriage certificate

8. (Multiple Choice) In the epilogue, what does Enva do?

  • A) She leaves Oath forever

  • B) She descends into the under realm with her harp

  • C) She returns to Dacre's side

  • D) She gives up her divinity

Character Motivation (Questions 9–13)

9. (Short Answer) Why does Mr. Kitt visit Iris at her flat in Chapter 2?

10. (Multiple Choice) What is Roman's primary motivation for betraying Dacre?

  • A) He wants to return to Oath

  • B) He loves Iris and wants to protect her

  • C) He is angry about his father's imprisonment

  • D) He believes Dacre is weak

11. (Short Answer) Why does Enva give Iris the sword that can kill divines?

12. (Multiple Choice) Why does Lieutenant Shane betray Roman to Dacre?

  • A) He is loyal to Dacre

  • B) He wants to save himself, but later repays the debt

  • C) He is jealous of Roman's relationship with Iris

  • D) He is forced by the Graveyard

13. (Short Answer) Why does Iris insist on traveling to Hawk Shire despite the danger?

Theme and Symbol (Questions 14–17)

14. (Multiple Choice) What does the nightingale symbolize in the story?

  • A) Hope and renewal

  • B) Captivity and the longing for freedom

  • C) The power of music

  • D) The inevitability of death

15. (Short Answer) What does the wedding ring represent for Iris and Roman throughout the novel?

16. (Multiple Choice) What is the significance of the enchanted typewriters?

  • A) They are used to spread propaganda

  • B) They allow communication across distances through wardrobe doors

  • C) They are relics of the gods

  • D) They are tools for writing articles

17. (Short Answer) What does the golden locket that Forest gives to Iris symbolize?

Synthesis (Questions 18–20)

18. (Short Answer) How does Roman's memory loss and recovery shape his identity and his relationship with Iris?

19. (Short Answer) Compare how Enva and Dacre use mortals to achieve their goals. What does this reveal about their characters?

20. (Short Answer) What does the ending suggest about the possibility of healing and new beginnings after war?

Answer Key

Plot and Sequence

1. C) Mr. Kitt

Explanation: In Chapter 2, Iris returns to her flat to find Roman's father, Mr. Kitt, who demands to know where his son is and accuses her of bewitching him.

2. B) The First Alouette typewriter

Explanation: Iris, Attie, and Sarah break into the museum to steal the First Alouette typewriter, which is magically connected to Roman's typewriter, allowing them to communicate.

3. Roman and Iris communicate through enchanted typewriters that are linked via wardrobe doors. Roman uses the Third Alouette typewriter (which he believes is his) and Iris uses the First Alouette; they slide letters under wardrobe doors to send messages.

Explanation: This is established in Chapters 7 and 11, where Iris discovers the typewriter's magic and begins corresponding with Roman, who signs as 'R.'

4. B) Roman to be shackled on traitor's row

Explanation: In Chapter 45, after Roman confesses his love for Iris and his betrayal, Dacre orders Val to take him below and shackle him on traitor's row.

5. B) They are killed together, holding hands

Explanation: In Chapter 49, Forest and Sarah are caught in the bombing; they die together, with Forest never releasing Sarah's hand. Iris later finds their bodies entwined.

6. Iris beheads Dacre with the sword Enva gave her while he is asleep under Attie's lullaby.

Explanation: In Chapter 50, Attie plays the violin to enchant Dacre, and Iris uses the sword to sever his head, killing him.

7. A) A letter from Roman proving he leaked Dacre's plans

Explanation: In Chapter 51, Iris retrieves the Hawk Shire letter from her flat and presents it to the Graveyard, proving Roman's innocence and stopping the execution.

8. B) She descends into the under realm with her harp

Explanation: In the epilogue, Enva uses the iron key to unlock the lavatory door and descends into the under realm, taking her harp with her.

Character Motivation

9. Mr. Kitt visits Iris to demand that she let Roman go, believing her words have bewitched him and caused him to abandon his family. He also wants to know Roman's whereabouts.

Explanation: In Chapter 2, Mr. Kitt says, 'Your words have bewitched him. And I need you to let him go.'

10. B) He loves Iris and wants to protect her

Explanation: In Chapter 45, Roman tells Dacre, 'I betrayed you because I love Iris Elizabeth Winnow. She represents all that is good in this realm, and your attack on Hawk Shire threatened her.'

11. Enva gives Iris the sword because she cannot kill Dacre herself due to a vow she made to him, and she needs a mortal to do it.

Explanation: In Chapter 41, Enva appears to Iris in a dream and gives her the sword, explaining that she is bound by a vow and cannot face Dacre directly.

12. B) He wants to save himself, but later repays the debt

Explanation: Shane betrays Roman to Dacre to protect himself, but later frees Roman from the under realm and helps him escape, repaying his debt.

13. Iris insists on going to Hawk Shire to deliver Roman's warning letter to Keegan, alerting her to Dacre's planned attack.

Explanation: In Chapter 17, Iris receives a letter from Roman warning of the attack and decides to take it to Keegan, despite the danger.

Theme and Symbol

14. B) Captivity and the longing for freedom

Explanation: The nightingale appears in Marisol's story about captive nightingales that die trying to escape, symbolizing the characters' own struggles against divine control and war.

15. The wedding ring represents the vows and connection between Iris and Roman, serving as a token of their love and commitment even when they are separated or when Roman loses his memory.

Explanation: Iris gives her ring to Roman as a keepsake in Chapter 22, and later he returns it, symbolizing the restoration of their bond.

16. B) They allow communication across distances through wardrobe doors

Explanation: The typewriters are enchanted so that letters placed under wardrobe doors are delivered to the corresponding typewriter, enabling secret correspondence between Iris and Roman.

17. The locket symbolizes family connection, protection, and Iris's bond with her brother Forest. It serves as a reminder of home and love, and Iris wears it as a promise.

Explanation: Forest gives Iris the locket in Chapter 8, making her promise to wear it always; it becomes a source of comfort and strength.

Synthesis

18. Roman's memory loss initially strips him of his identity, making him vulnerable to Dacre's manipulation. As he recovers memories through the typewriter correspondence and his interactions with Iris, he regains his sense of self and his love for her, which ultimately drives him to betray Dacre. The recovery of memory is tied to the recovery of his vows and his commitment to Iris, showing that identity is rooted in connection and love.

Explanation: Throughout the novel, Roman's fragmented memories are restored through his letters with Iris and his dreams, culminating in his full recollection after touching her ring.

19. Enva uses mortals as instruments to achieve her goals, but she does so through guidance and empowerment (e.g., giving Iris the sword and appearing in dreams). Dacre uses mortals as tools for propaganda and war, manipulating them through fear and healing magic. Enva ultimately seeks to free mortals from divine tyranny, while Dacre seeks to control them. This contrast reveals Enva's more benevolent (though still manipulative) nature and Dacre's selfishness.

Explanation: Enva's actions are aimed at ending Dacre's threat, while Dacre's are self-serving; the novel critiques both but presents Enva as the lesser evil.

20. The ending suggests that healing is possible but comes with grief and loss. Iris and Roman find peace together, but they carry scars—Roman's lung damage, Iris's grief for Forest. The final chapter shows them building a life together, writing and supporting each other, implying that love and creativity can help overcome trauma. The epilogue with Enva hints at ongoing divine mysteries, but the mortal world moves toward recovery.

Explanation: The novel ends with Iris and Roman in domestic harmony, and the epilogue shows Enva's continued presence, but the focus is on human resilience and the power of storytelling to heal.

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